Private operators cannot offer new services during bus strike

Private bus operators will be able to meet increased demand during the Bus Éireann strike under existing State licences – even if it goes on indefinitely, the National Transport Authority has said.

Current legislation enables private operators to increase the number of services they run daily on their licensed routes, but they cannot start new routes that they are not licensed for.

NTA spokesman Dermot O’Gara said the authority believed private operators’ capacity to expand existing services will be “sufficient” even if the Bus Éireann strike runs for a significant period.

However, the State transport regulator said it will not give permission to run new services on routes that are served only by Bus Éireann.

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The Coach Tourism and Transport Council of Ireland (CTTC), which represents private operators, said the route licences do not allow its members to offer alternatives to certain Bus Éireann services during the strike.

Increased business

In the wake of the strike, which has dramatically increased business for private operators, the CTTC has called for a comprehensive review and liberalisation of Irish public bus transport rules.

Meanwhile, one of the country's biggest private operators, Gobus, has to cancel eight services a day between Cork and Dublin because it operates from Bus Éireann-owned stations in the two cities.

However, the company also operates 17 services a day between Dublin, Galway and Dublin Airport. A spokeswoman said they were busier than usual during the weekend, but services are running normally now.

She said Gobus was not in competition with Bus Éireann on the Galway route because Bus Éireann does not have a direct service between the two cities.

Most private operators reported an easing of demand on their services after Friday’s strike by Bus Éireann workers which was only called the evening before and also included the cancellation of many trains.

Aircoach, which runs services 24 hours a day from Dublin Airport to the city centre and also to Cork and Belfast from Dublin Airport, reported a 30 per cent increase in traffic over the weekend, but much of it had to do with the international match between Ireland and Wales.

All aboard

Aircoach operates 18 services to Cork every day and 22 to Belfast. “We are expecting to see additional demand, but we have the capacity to cope. We have been able to cater for everyone who has turned up,” said managing director Allen Parker.

Dublin Coach spokeswoman Aoife Dunphy said Friday's strike had "caught a lot of people off guard" and commuters were better prepared for Monday.

The company runs 35 buses from Limerick, 18 from Ennis, 17 from Kerry and nine from other locations.

“There is a lot more footfall,” she said. “Nearly every bus is full leaving the towns in the morning, but Friday was a crazy day. Trains had more of an effect on Friday than Bus Éireann.”

Brian O'Donnell from Bus Feda in Donegal said they were up 25 to 30 per cent on normal services. The company operates between Donegal and Galway. "We're managing. Nobody was left behind," he said.

Matthews.ie, which runs half hour and hourly services from Dublin to Dundalk, Drogheda and East Meath, said its services are running normally.